NIA Small Business Program Operations and Innovator Support

The NIA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, along with the NIA Start Up Challenge, advance the NIH and HHS missions to improve health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability among older Americans. These programs stimulate innovation by supporting small businesses developing cutting-edge solutions including artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technologies and novel therapeutic approaches targeting Alzheimer's disease (AD), AD-related dementias (ADRD), and other aging-related conditions. The Start Up Challenge is a pre-SBIR accelerator and prize competition designed to identify and prepare high-potential startups for NIH funding and commercialization. Together, these efforts align with Presidential priorities to strengthen U.S. leadership in biotechnology and AI and accelerate domestic innovation. To sustain and expand this impact, NIA requires dedicated contractor support. The scope and complexity of the Challenge, including multi-phase application review, a five-month accelerator curriculum, national outreach, and in-person event coordination, exceed available federal staffing capacity. Without specialized operational support and entrepreneurial programming expertise, NIA would be unable to execute the program at the scale, quality, and speed needed. This contract provides subject matter expertise in life sciences entrepreneurship, accelerator programming, and program operations. These capabilities are critical to designing and delivering a high-quality accelerator curriculum covering core competencies necessary for a wide range of biomedical innovations. Federal staff cannot replicate this depth and range of current, market-facing expertise without contractor support. Additionally, the contractor's role in developing and managing the Challenge application submission system and online learning platform is essential to ensuring operational efficiency, transparency, and accountability. With more than 250 submissions reviewed through a multi-phase process, reliable technical infrastructure and workflow management are necessary to maintain accuracy, timeliness, and data integrity. Equally important, the contract provides critical SBIR/STTR support to expand awareness, improve application quality, and strengthen participation. Through logistical coordination and development of technical assistance sessions, it helps applicants understand eligibility, priorities, and evolving policies and processes. This is critical for companies in the private sector that lack prior experience with federal grants. It also improves operational efficiency by managing small business participation in industry events that highlight federally funded innovations and accelerate commercialization.